Had my first test win as West Indies manager and not a moment too soon. Basically, since the start of the game my record has been:

Played: 13Won: 0Lost: 9Drawn: 4

Not a pretty sight.

After losing to Pakistan 0-2, I made pretty much wholesale changes to the side. Sammy was dropped as captain and Gayle was given it back. Chanderpaul, Bravo, Sarwan, Taylor, Roach and Rampaul all cleared out and I gave guys like Stoute and Bishoo a crack.

Down 0-1 against New Zealand with a test to play, we look pretty much gone after they post 432 (including a 155 run stand for the seventh wicket) and we get rolled for 256.

But then Jason Bennett, on test debut, rolls their top order through sheer awesomeness and sets us a chaseable target of 306.

Runako Morton, after scores of 4, 30, 5, 3 and 35, finally makes a contribution and is helped by Kirk Edwards and Devon Smith to chase down something awesome and end my thirteen-match winless streak. Edwards has been awesome for me: he was going to be dropped in the Bangladesh series because he was averaging about six after three tests but an injury to Smith saved him and he's scored two tons and three half centuries since.

Disappointing series really which we should have won. Set them 352 to win the first test but declared way too late and failed to bowl them out. Then set them in excess of 300 to win the second test and they chased it down with three wickets in hand as ****ing Neil Broom tonned up.

There's still heaps of problems with the team - mainly the batting lineup. I'll probably phase Dwayne Bravo back in, but finally we aren't conceeding 400+ every innings.

Though ICC seems to pick weird sides. Anaru Kitchen opening when a perfectly good opener in Raval at five, and then two batting allrounders at seven and eight.

I take it this ICC version still comes out with wtf teams?

Is Bennett a regen mate?

Originally Posted by Bahnz

I need u like Henry Nicholls needs batting school
He was terrible in that series
I need u like Ross Taylor needed to be fit
He's way better than Henry Nicholls
And now all I can think about is your smile
and that ****** test series too
Losing to Australia sucked and I miss you

Yeah, it's ridiculous. There's a preposterously good player or two in every ICC version.

I can only assume it was coded after the 09 SA series, so the developer thought "well, 60+ FC average, 2 test tons in 3 knocks against SA in SA, must be a fair player". He now still averages 60, but with 12+ tons and two doubles. And is still only 24!

Him and Pup - who in Tests often takes "cautiously slow batting" to a quite frustratingly extreme degree - are my middle order rocks. Watson's pretty good, but goes in and out of batting form quickly. Haddin's surprisingly good. Rest of the batting lineup I struggle to find enough in-form class players to fill post-Punter. Can't seem to find a bowling attack that can string an entire series without half of it going in and out of form though, is irritating.

New season, Martin-Jenkins, Kirltey and Collymore all retired. I released Aga which left with me with the same number of good bowlers as I had in the first season but 4 fewer **** ones.
Signed Tim Southee as my overseas, also brought in Matthew Hoggard. Those two are opening the bowling, Luke Wright comes on first change, Panesar tweaks a few and then a youth allrounder, who I signed at the start who spent 80% of 2010 in the 2nd XI, rounds off the attack.
Having a much better go of it this year, last time Panesar was my leading wicket taker with 48. In 2011 Southee already has 15 after 2 and a half.
Yardy has had a rejuvenation and has started scoring some big runs. Luke Wright has also stopped playing like an elephant's carcass. It's good.